• PM To Join • [Oakleigh] Protecting DOOR

[Tristan Venora]

“Only five?“ Tristan couldn’t hide his disappointment as Sintih told him how many people he commanded. He even pouted a little which wasn’t very mature, but which served to emphasize further how he felt at the moment. He’d thought he’d get an army or at least a small, highly trained mercenary company! “Five isn’t a lot. I hope that they really are as skilled as you claim!” He pouted some more, and then he realized that he could always hire more guards (or have Sintih hire them), so it really wasn’t that much of an issue. Still, having a great number of guards right away would have been better!

As Sintih told him what he would do, he nodded. “That makes a lot of sense. I don’t think that being accompanied by your men – or women - will be difficult for me though. I’ve had Lianne for a while now. She’s almost always nearby, and we get along just fine! I’m more worried about them!” Having said that, he cast a glance at Lianne, and she looked back and grinned at him as if there was something that only the two of them knew. Lianne was no Ilaren and no Faith, but Tristan enjoyed her company at night a great deal!

“I’m not aware of any secret entrances or exits”, he then informed Sintih. That was true. There weren’t any secret entrances or exits in Oakleigh estate at the moment. Eventually he wanted to have an underground bunker build where he could hide and get drunk and practice alchemy, but he didn’t have any definite plans yet, so there was no need to mention it (besides he wasn’t sure if he really wanted Sintih to know about that).

He was just about to tell Sintih that he’d be willing to give him a chance because most of the things he’d said had made sense (and because he’d quit the stupid Iron Hand and had weird eyes, as he had concluded before) when the door opened, and a very familiar young woman entered. He just stared at her for a moment, and then he grinned and asked, “Have you been listening at the door again? I hope you were having fun!”

Tristan didn’t mind people listening at the door at all (unless they were Aelig because he hated Aelig). He often did the same. It was a fun pastime. He also didn’t mind Atolini simply joining their conversation. The more, the merrier. Besides, she had mentioned something that he hadn’t considered yet. So far he had been of the opinion that you could easily serve two masters, so Sintih having ties to Sinra Khan hadn’t been an issue.

Now it was different though. He turned back to Sintih and looked at him with a very serious expression on his face.

“Could you please answer my sister’s question? If Ser Khan suddenly wanted me dead, what would you do?” He realized that Sintih could lie, but it would be better to pose the question nevertheless. Besides, he could always procure a truth serum and feed it to him later on!

[Sintih]

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isappointment was something Sin hadn't really expected, at least not in such a visible way. He already felt like he'd failed his future employer by not presenting him with a large army of guards, instead of the five he had on retainer now. "You are right in thinking five to be little. My men are better than the average soldier but they're not legendary fighters by any stretch. I figured presenting you with an army I could only afford for the afternoon would be less of a statement to my skills than a small force I can keep to protect you nearly indefinitely. If you feel you need a larger security force, I'll start recruiting right away." Always give them another option when you failed something, especially an option that made it seem like they were in charge, those were the best options.

After he explained to Tristan how he'd start working and what their near future would look like, he found the duke happy to oblige to this transition period. The man shared a moment with his guard and Sin figured there was more between the two of them than simply employer and employee. What exactly, he didn't know, but they'd obviously shared time together. His denial to the existence of secret entrances wasn't a surprise. He didn't expect the duke to trust him with those right from the start. Maybe once they were holed up in the man's office with an angry pitchfork mob outside the door the duke would trust him enough to tell him about them.

The conversation got interrupted around that point by the squeekiest vocal assault Sin had ever heard. He spun around on his heels towards the door leading back inside the house, right moving under his red fur lined cloak to the blade on the back of his belt while he left hovered next to his hip, fingers open as he covered the space between the assailant and the duke. The attacker's casual walk into the garden caused Sin to stop his right hand from drawing forth his blade. He kept it on the handle, just in case. The duke's voice coming from behind him told Sin the rest of the story. This wasn't an attack, this was someone living here. Someone who'd just come and thrown sand in his deliciously baked pie. As the woman stepped closer, Sin figured her to be the mother of the child he'd seen earlier but quickly recognized the Venoran cheek bones and soft chin. Family then.

Sin let his left hand drop to his side and brought his right hand out from his cloak, empty. He turned so he could see both Venora's and kept the feeling of being surrounded from taking over. The squeaky assault continued as the sister spoke about loyalty and Venoran soldiers being better than hedge knights. All in all, the woman acted very much unlike a lady of her station should've. The fact that she was talking so much told Sin all he needed to know. Spoiled noble brat. Really Father? You couldn't have waited one bit longer before pushing her to do this? Sin's illusion drew a deep breath and slowly released it as the Yludih tried to calm himself. I guess it wouldn't be much of a chaos if you did wait. Couldn't it have been the grandmother or something? At least someone less... squeaky?

Sin could feel her dislike for him and her disdain for his station from her eyes alone. The fact that she backed it all up with her words only annoyed Sin more. Her cascade of 'Venoran pride' kept going, talking about how he and his men should live outside to protect the person inside. For a trill he thought about ignoring her but a glance towards the duke's thoughtful looking face told him the man was listening to her. He couldn't afford to ignore her. But he couldn't take her serious either. She sounded like a tantrum throwing child. And there it was. The duke echoed his sister's question to the fake Eídisi.

For a moment, Sin thought about putting this little girl in her place but he would lose his job in an asterism pulse. Another deep, illusory breath, slowly inhaled and exhaled before Sin faced the duke. He even turned slightly so his back was more to the venora lady behind him then etiquette would have allowed. Should he explain how Venoran soldiers would cause more problems than solving them? Perhaps if he deflated every point the sister had made in an eloquent manner? Sin shook his head and faced the duke. Straight up honesty. It had worked in the past. "If he'd asked this of me this trial, best case scenario for you, you would've been dead and I would've been on my way back to my employer. A season from now? I might suddenly decide to find another job. An arc from now? Best case scenario, I'd tell him no and I'd tell you he was planning on doing it before retiring somewhere warm. Five arcs from now, I'd let you know and kill him if you so desired."

He turned from the duke to the sister, staring down on the woman before him as he continued to speak. "All that said, why would my employer order the duke dead when he so enjoys the man's contributions to the arts? I've never seen him happier than when he finally managed to outbid someone for a sculpture by the famous Tristan Venora or when his tickets to the famous play arrived by messenger." Looking down on her didn't really help Sin's feelings towards the girl. He tried to hold himself back but couldn't help one last remark. "Among us rabble peasants we still have things like courtesy, respect and honor, something certain nobles could do with more of." It felt equally good and regretful as he uttered the words.

[Atolini Venora]

A spoiled brat? On the contrary, Atolini was THE spoiled brat. She was the envy of her peers, after all not only did her aunt and uncle become duke and duchess of venora. Her brother Tristan had become duke of Oakleigh, and it had elevated her self worth substantially. If she had been interested in the royal politics, her potential was limitless as the most eligible bachelorette. However she was happy bidding her time fletchings arrows, horse back riding or doing archery there was one other thing but she kept that to herself.

Her brother seemed happy about her chiming in, and it only emboldened the young venoras posturing. Atolini wasnt a problem, and her brother was weighing the merit of her words carefully. She may have been the squeekiest voice in the room, but Sintih might remember that old adage; squeeky wheel gets the oil.

Sintih could squirm like the wriggly worm he was, he could stare her down and say whatever he wanted. Atolini had nothing to prove, she was already part of the inner circle and whether he liked it or not providing her with security was part of his job if he was lucky enough to get it. She wanted him to act persnickity infront of her brother, she wanted him to lose his self control so the Duke could evaluate him when he was flustered or irritated. Why would the Duke want someone that would cave under the pressure of there own ire?

It's not that she disliked Sintih, she just didnt trust him. Until he was proven an honorable and trustworthy addition to her brothers court, he was just a pretentious upstart. And her family had already already suffered once, Atolini could have told him to tell that to her grandmother but doing so meant giving in, however the fact that a conversation about loyalty sparked such behavior was telling. It wasnt her place to argue, instead she would do what she felt was best ignore the Eidisi and his attempts to stoke her temper in passive aggressive fashion he wasnt even worth a roll of her eyes as she disregarded his verbal posturing and changing the subject matter.

"Yes, I have.
Your safety concerns me.
I could write a letter to grandma, I know she is no longer the acting duchess but im convinced she still has enough influence to send help.

But we can discuss that later if you wish."

She let that one drop on Sintahs lap, she could talk to her older sibling whenever she wanted and unlike him she may have been able to gather a small force of loyal soldiers.

"About the property its absoluty breath taking, we should go horse back riding when you find the time. Im still learning but I think im getting the hang of it, ive also spotted wonderful places to do archery. Or maybe if your feeling adventurous we could go hunting. Theres so much to do I can hardly contain my enthusiasm."

She smiled brightly to the Duke, her voice just squeeking away as she enjoyed her brothers hospitality and was letting him know of some fun activities she spotted steering the conversation elsewhere.

[Tristan Venora]

“You do have a point“, Tristan admitted and nodded his head. A moment later the young duke looked completely confused though. Up until then he had thought that he would have to pay Sintih and his men and of course everybody else that Sintih hired. He briefly wondered if it would be a sign of a lack of professionalism if he talked about his confusion regarding financial matters to Sintih, and then he decided that he didn’t care. Besides, it would be better to mention those things now rather than later! “Who’ll pay your men’s salary once you are working for me though? Sinra Khan? Me? You?”

He did of course notice that Sintih’s hand went to his sword as Atolini entered (he wasn’t blind!). For a moment he was seriously worried that the man would attack his sister, and his heart began to beat faster as he wondered what he was supposed to do now and whether he should scream. He actually was about to open his mouth to do so, but fortunately Sintih seemed to have heard what he, Tristan, had said. He let out a deep sigh of relief.

“You have quick reflexes, as a man in your position should”, he remarked. “I think I need to introduce the members of my family to you soon though so that you don’t accidentally kill one of them.” The criticism in his voice was noticeable. He also wondered how Sintih would deal with his half-brother Hart who looked exactly like him. Would he be able to tell them apart? Maybe he could use the fact that they looked like twins to test him and find out how much attention he really paid to those around him!

Unlike Sintih Tristan didn’t find Atolini annoying in the least, and he also didn’t mind her squeaky voice. She was his sister, and he loved her, and she made the whole situation much more entertaining! He almost expected Sintih to lose his self-control though, but to his surprise he remained as calm and professional as ever. How in the world did he do it?

“I’m not so sure”, he remarked. “I’m not as easy to kill as I appear to be! I was once ambushed by a whole group of thugs, and I survived and even wounded one of them! Of course”, he admitted. “It probably helped that Ilaren was there with me.” That Sintih might find it strange or even refused to believe that he had met an Immortal didn’t occur to him. Interactions with Immortals had become commonplace for him. He had met so many of them already that he had nearly lost count!

“I thank you for your honesty though”, he continued. Sintih hadn’t sounded as if he was secretly an assassin that wanted to kill the Duke of Oakleigh and served some sort of evil master. He’d still buy a truth serum though, just in case, he decided. If he didn’t use it on Sintih, he could always feed it to Aelig or one of his servants when they showed up again (and they definitely would, Aelig never left him alone for long!) so that he could finally find out what they really wanted from him!

“As for Sinra Khan, did he actually watch my plays?” he asked. His eyes were wide. He was suddenly a lot less suspicious of the man. He loved having fans! “Which ones did he watch? Tell him that he must write me again sometimes so that we can talk about it. I may even give him an autograph!”

Having said that, he turned back to his sister. He was incredibly proud of her because she didn’t argue with Sintih, but just changed the topic. Had he been in her place, he probably wouldn’t have done so. “You could write her, but I’m not sure if she would help. She’s probably proud of the fact that I’m a duke now, but on the other hand I’m letting the bastard whose existence she denied for over twenty arcs stay here. And then there’s Ayla …”

Atolini would know what he was talking about. Hart was his father’s illegitimate son, and Ayla … well, as far as most of the people that lived in Oakleigh knew Ayla was his illegitimate daughter and her mother had been a former slave, a woman that Tristan had once loved with all his heart and that had died. Only a select few were aware of the fact that she might very well be Aelig’s child or at least under the influence of a dark Immortal.

“Anyway, I would love to go riding with you. I finally had them bring Maxos to Oakleigh. We could go riding and shoot things at the same time. I really want to try out my new crossbow!” He was so enthusiastic about doing something fun with a sister that he nearly forgot that Sintih was still standing there and probably quite nervous by now. It was only as he turned around to grab a cookie that he remembered.

“I think I’ll hire you”, he informed him in quite a light-hearted tone, munching on a cookie as he did so. He really wanted to get this over with so that he could go riding with Atolini now! “If that’s okay with you, Atolini?” He looked at his sister again. “If you still have reservations, we could decide on a probationary period I suppose, but I don't think this will be necessary. I have a good feeling.”

[Sintih]

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here always would be something. Sin had been impressed so far about the new Duke. He seemed to have a grasp on things beyond what Sin had anticipated, which was good. That he didn't really know how basic employment worked was a matter of his upbringing, Sin was sure. Living in noble luxury like that, he probably had never had to count how much money he even had. Then again, Tristan Venora wasn't known for being an upstanding noble citizen of Rynmere either. "The Sinra Company is paying them. Once you hire us, you'll be paying the Sinra Company for our services. The same as if you would take passage on a ship. You pay the captain, not every sailor personally."

Sin could feel the admonishment from the duke's voice as he had found himself face to face with his sister. An overreaction on his end, perhaps? Yet, the duke was alive so Sin had done his future job to his own satisfaction. If only he could... No, he would simply have to live with the girl as long as the duke allowed her to roam around and cater to her whims. Sin foresaw long days ahead. Sin turned towards Tristan and bowed his head, more a nod than an actual bow, really. "My apologies." For a moment, Sin wondered what title he would be using once things were official. Duke Venora? Tristan of Oakleigh? Lord Duke Tristan Venora of Oakleigh? My Duke? As he couldn't decide on one, he left the title out for now.

Sin did raise an eyebrow at the mention of Ilaren. He knew Tristan was known for his relationship with Ilaren, mostly because the man himself had most likely personally told every single citizen of Andaris that fact. On one hand, he didn't really see why the immortal of brawling and lightning would favor Tristan like that. Then again, the immortal of alcohol and drinking it would love a man like Tristan. He wasn't jealous of the fact that Tristan was favored by an Immortal. Sin thought of himself much in the same way. Perhaps not favored directly, but definitely a person of interest to an immortal. He only regretted never having seen his immortal, face to cloudy illusion.

"I believe he has seen quite a few of them but he's only told me about the famous play from a few seasons ago. The one where the king almost got assassinated. I don't really remember the story, though. As for the writing, I'm sure there will be more letters from my employer to you in the future." Through all this, the sister seemed to have actually listened to their conversation, quietly none the less. Tristan's attention moved back to her as well and Sintih quietly stood, listening to their conversation would butting in. They discussed writing some family member and then shifted into riding and shooting things. Sin couldn't say he disliked being right in the middle of the conversation without being noticed by either of them, apparently.

When Tristan turned to face him again, he was suddenly in the man's employment. He seemed to have decided then and there but turned to his sister to confirm. Sin couldn't help the tightening of his jaw. It seemed that he would need to teach the duke a thing or two about making decisions. But, he was hired. Job done. He could now start focusing on his job. Potential problems already started flooding his mind. Did Gallien approve of the new Duke? Would Iemes manage to keep his hands to himself around the duke's all female bodyguards? He wasn't too worried about Argun attempting to duel the duke. Thetfretr's communication issues wouldn't be a problem as long as Sin was around but he'd have to check if the duke had any knowledge of the signed language. Aukey, being similar in his treatment of nobles as Sin, would pose little problem except to the sister. The future was looking bright.

Allow me to gather my men and we'll meet here first thing in the morning, then." It didn't really sound like a question.

[Atolini Venora]

Atolini found herself preoccupied with her brother, exchanging words on more important subjects like entertainment and indulgence putting that blue oaf on her back burner while she reveled in her game of taking time and attention away from his cause . Enthusiasm immediately gushed from her smile as her brother mentioned mounted archery, it was something she dabbled in with very little success it was the movement of the beast that involuntarily threw her aim off target it was still alot of fun though.

"That sounds great but im a terrible shot on horse back
Although a new cross bow you say? Is it a windlass? Ive heard about the ones with cranks and gears with draws allegedly a thousand pounds plus."

Her craftsmanship instincts perked up at the thought of making her brother some crossbow bolts, most of the time they were made of metal slag. She figured if she made a few out of a solid wood the bolt would travel greater distances with a bodkin head for a tip it should still have been a fierce armor penetrator.

"I'll have to take a look at what your shooting, I bet I could make you something cool."

Her eyebrow raised at her brother when he asked her thoughts on, sintih was it? Being hired.

Alterior motives swirled turbulently in her mind as Atolini knew the moment he inked quill to parchment hed sign his life away and become just another slave on the plantation. Hed be a new doll for her to play silly little games with, minutes would feel like arcs as she contemplated how best to drag her nails across the chalk board of his life. Hed live to regret his overzealous verbal retaliation, morning, noon, and night the squeek of her voice would be akin to that of a leaky faucet that just keeps going; she swore it!

Atolini addressed the duke after contemplating the whole spectrum of possibilities, she knew her brother and felt he had already made the decision in his heart of hearts he was an artist it was all about aethestics she was worried he may one day trade functionality and safety for something easy on the eyes.

He does have cool eyes!

Atolini said her piece and felt it would go without saying.

But it would not deter the young noble from writing her grandmother. She felt she was in the same position she was in when her brother died in the tournament, she was certain someone as proud as the former duchess would see fit to protect Atolini from the same fate even if her brother had done things she disapproved of because it was about her grandmother being the saviour and thwarting upstarts to not allow the family to relive the past. She was just getting over Theodore, was she really expected to do this again? She just didnt have it in her.

[Incubus]

Atolini

Knowledge
Fletching; Concept Design Before Fabrication
Business Management; Offering Trade Skills To Family
Stealth; Listening in on conversations behind a door
Discipline; Holding ones tongue
Discipline; Going Along With Choices You Dont Agree with
Etiquette; Animals/Riff Raff Belong Outside

Tristan; Friendly
Tristan; Doesnt Mind Her Shinanigans
Tristan; Makes Hasty Decisions
Tristan; His Safety Worries Her
Tristan: Her brother
Sintih; Upstart
Sintih; Sell Sword
Sintih; Untrustworthy
Sintih; Has Cool Eyes
Location: Oakleigh
Location: Oakleigh Estate

Loot: N/A
Injuries: N/A
Fame: N/A
Devotion: N/A

Points: 15

Sintih

Knowledge
Deception: I work for myself under another name
Deception: Tell them what they want to hear
Tactics: Know the entrances to a place
Tactics: An army requires a commander
Tactics: A commander requires an army
Etiquette: Proper conduct when being introduced to a lady
Etiquette: Keeping your personal thoughts to yourself
Etiquette: Murdering little sisters is not a solution
Politics: Give them an option that makes it seem like they're in charge

Rynmere: Eastern Settlements: Oakleigh
Rynmere: Eastern Settlements: Oakleigh Estate
Sintih: I'm Sinra Khan
Sintih: Sinra Khan sent a letter to Tristan
Sintih: Sinra Khan enjoys Tristan's work in the arts
Hannah: Likes your cloak
Hannah: Works for Tristan
Tristan: Has a daughter, Ayla
Tristan: Duke of Oakleigh
Tristan: Not quite yet the duke he could be
Tristan: His office is his garden?
Tristan: Offered you food and drink
Tristan: An adult or a child?
Tristan: Knows Kylar
Tristan: Understand why you left the Iron Hand
Tristan: Likes you
Tristan: Hired you
Lianna: Bodyguard and Actress
Atolini: Has an annoying voice
Atolini: Spoiled noble brat
Atolini: Tristan's Sister
Atolini: Doesn't know how to behave
Atolini: Listens at doors
Atolini: Thinks too highly of her Venoran soldiers
Atolini: Thinks you have cool eyes
Aelig: Keeps throwing Chaos your way

Loot: N/A
Injuries: N/A
Fame: N/A
Devotion: +1 Aelig

Points: 15

Tristan

Knowledge
Etiquette: Offer your guests something to eat and drink
Etiquette: Don’t interrupt people when they are speaking, even if you are bored
Interrogation: Interrogating a potential employee
Politics: If you are a politician, it’s a good idea to actually know something about politics
Politics: Dukes aren’t the only ones that are busy!
Politics: Loyalty is important
Politics: Consider other people’s opinion before making an important decision
Leadership: Troops need a good commander
Deception: Keep a few things to yourself until you are sure you can trust somebody

Sintih: Received my cloak and my painting
Sintih: Eidisi
Sintih: Has cool eyes
Sintih: Used to be a member of the Iron Hand
Sintih: Tactician
Sintih: My new employee
Sinra Khan: Sintih’s employer
Sinra Khan: Wants to help me
Sinra Khan: Recommended Sintih
Sinra Khan: Mysterious
Sinra Khan: Not a noble or an influential merchant
Sinra Khan: Watched “A Royal Tragedy”
Atolini: My sister
Atolini: Likes to do archery and go riding
Atolini: A fletcher
Atolini: Agrees that Sintih has cool eyes
Listening at the door: A fun pastime

Loot: +1 Letter from Sinra Khan
Injuries: N/A
Fame: N/A
Devotion: N/A

Points: 15

Comments: If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please let me know.